Three men injured in three separate shootings

Wes Wolfe / Staff Writer

Monday

Feb 24, 2014 at 12:01 AMFeb 24, 2014 at 11:32 PM

Sunday’s incidents appear to be unconnected

Walking along West Highland Avenue, George Avenue or visiting the convenience store on J.P. Harrison Boulevard any other sunny, warm day would’ve been so innocuous as to fail to leave a lasting memory.

But that wasn’t so Sunday, when police responded to shootings at each of those locations.

Shortly before 11 a.m., officers with the Kinston Department of Public Safety reported to a residence in the 200 block of West Highland Avenue and found Sterling Smith, 24, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Investigators believe the suspect in the case is Jamell Howard, 26, and that he fled the scene in a blue Mitsubishi.

Howard’s charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury and a warrant is outstanding for his arrest.

Three and a half hours later, police converged on the intersection of George Avenue and Stadiem Drive. Multiple 911 calls detailed a gunfight at in the 1500 block of George Avenue, and officers discovered Khyric Jamal Alexander, 21, in front of a residence in the 700 block of Stadium Drive with a gunshot wound to his left arm.

Investigators turned up three long guns in the trees behind the Stadiem Avenue residence, and determined a gun battle occurred at the George Avenue residence, which was supposed to be vacant.

Inside the residence, police found blood “throughout the house,” bullet holes, shell casings and a small amount of marijuana.

In addition to Alexander, four other people are suspected of being involved in the incident. As the suspects left the house, police allege one suspect, wearing a gray hoodie and shooting back at the residence, struck the car of a woman living nearby.

The suspect in the gray hoodie is believed to have run north, while two others ran west toward Charlotte Avenue and two people ran south with Alexander.

Then, at 4:10 p.m., law enforcement responded to the C-Mart in the 500 block of J.P. Harrison Boulevard after a store clerk reported someone shot at the store. Officers observed Marquez Williams, 26, lying just feet from the door of the store, according to KDPS Maj. Rick Harrell.

Williams had taken several gunshots to the chest, pelvic area and thumb.

In this matter, the suspect is already in custody. Wesley Devon Warren, 33, was charged with attempted murder and placed into the W.E. “Billy” Smith Detention Center under a $1 million bond.

Authorities believe Warren used a handgun in the incident.

None of the men named as a suspect or a victim have a record of probation or state prison time for violent crime, according to the state’s public database.

Each victim was airlifted to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville. Vidant spokeswoman Beth Anne Atkins said Smith is in fair condition, Alexander was treated and released but there was no record of Williams.

“It doesn’t mean he’s not here,” Atkins said. “He could be under a confidentiality, he could be listed under a different name or he might not be here.”

KDPS Director Bill Johnson noted the rare occasion of three different shootings in one day.

“No incident – no set of incidents comes to mind at all,” Johnson said.

Johnson said community involvement led to a quality response to the incidents by officers arresting one suspect and charging another.

“I think it is because if you look at the fact we did have three separate incidents – one of them we made an arrest in and the other we already identified the suspect and we issued information on him and that he is wanted for that,” Johnson said.

He continued, “So, when you look at the community response, obviously, which is always a factor, in that I think it shows consistently that the community is really stepping up and participating with us in these types of incidents.”

The West Highland Avenue and George Avenue shootings remain under investigation.

Wes Wolfe can be reached at 252-559-1075 and Wes.Wolfe@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @WolfeReports.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.